The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-04-06
nj naaaes, it is only history repeating

t'tIu-S " Hcut,t NC ~ NttSt LII I'oh @-i>
utility 70 The inhabitants oi North ant
South Carolina, and Tennessee, and tina
the armory aud arselal Of the United
States, established at Rocky Mount
would also be considerably benefited
vet, in view o; the present condition o.
finances. and critical situation Of oul
country IN relation to foreign Govern.
mcnts, il woll;i DC una'ivisable 10 apply
any puDLic money.
In the journal Of Bishop francis
Asbuy lS09} ne speaks Of preaching
near William Heath's, on Fishing Creek,
when, .'to my surprise number OF
United States officers came up. ! invited
them il. These gentlemen are attached
10 an establishment at Rocky Mount.
II the Annals of Congress, under the
date of December 26, 1915, the ''com-
nlittee On military affairs reported a
bill Establishing three additional mill
tarv academies-one within the District
Of Columbia, one at Mount Dearborn,
in South Carolina, and one in the vicini-
" Of Newport, Kentucky" "'Ihe bill
vas read twice and committed. \ few,
days later, IN committee Of the whole, ;"
NJ. Campbell probably q m:sprint,
meaning Cd. J. j. Chappell, ot South
Carolina, proposed to change the loca-
ton OF the Southern Academy from
Mount Dearborn to Columbia, on ac-
count OF the superior advantages OF that
place over Mount Dearborn and the
eligibility OF ii situation for such an IN
stitution. The House refused by a
large majority. Mr. Pickens, OF North
Carolina, ''was in favor Of a more upland
site than either of those mentioned, and
gave a decided preference Of the two to
Mount Dearborn over Columbia. He
proposed d point III BUncombc county.
Ashevil!e was soon put II nomination
against Mount Dearborn, but was mega
tieed By q large vote. The committee,
after !. long debate, in which Nj. Cal
houn, and Mr. Clay, Spea.c; Of the
House, joined, (both advocating three
academies. agreed 10 strike out three
and insert orc. \ year later, February,
ISL, the Whole nl;tttcr was indefinitely
postponed.
These references snow thai f)r several
years an arsenal and magazine IN one
place the word "armory' IS used We're
kept up near Rocky Mount. In the
pIlgi.;>; paper, ordering the selection OF
: place, estimates wcfe gwen for the fol-
.cwi!lG buildings:
- brick building. three stories high,
one hanired ana seventyt;ve feet long
and fortv-two feet wide, would contain
.~eilty thousand la,IsketS, artillery. and
III proportion, together with
Al The light appcndages thereof. An
lrchcd brick magazine, capable {! con-
aiming $50 thousand i've hundred bar
:els Of powder. Brick barracks, and
iOr one hundred arnlorcrs, for
he necessary gUarc:.
1t does LOT appear how far this plan
was carried out .,iilS, writing in 1926,
some time after tie enterprise was aban
loncd, says:
The United States establishment,
le::r Rocky Mount, commands attention
also, though now abandoned and il
,uinS. This circumstance only tends to
make il more interesting to the traveller.
The buildings erected here were hand
;cnc aad extensive The magazine "a
;o4jcai brick hl5Ijing) has entirely
umblcd do3n. The arsenal is L sub
SANTA! buil;li3s, erected close to tie
anal, constructed Dy the State, and is !
he only bui!tting cf the whole that
promises TO be really useful. Tie bar
,acks surroUud 4 sqigira, froDted by the
officers quarters, large brick edltce,
he whole erected on promontory pro- |
ectinG into the river. ;" . Nature |
furnishes few spots more y.:iously ro-
mantle than this, noble river rendered
more interesting by the rocks which i'm
,cde its course, the islands scattered in
he stream, the surrounding hills cover
d With woods. and towering above it,
il induce 4 wish that the project Of q !
military establishment here had sue
:eeded and that this fairy spot had been
he abode Of refined society.
The reiereuccs and quotations il this
rticle have a.! been veriiicdoso that this
hort sketch OF the ':Rockv Mount Es-
ablisinneGt is believed to be correct.
t is incomplete, as it is prepared with
,ut access to sources which would give
,tncr items as Wei rs the ;imc and cause
ii abandonment.
The local tradition IS that Rocky
Mount came within one vote Of being
he West Point OF the United States.
Ih!5 may not be so, still those so in
lined ,ca.- speculate as to thc effect on
,ur history il i great national military
cadcn.y. with ill tic attendant patron
ge and lntiUcncc, had been established
n the banks of the Cstttwba, like that OF
LIa HndSor
II the Grt;nkrIvi!!c, whicl. the printers
j Mills ) Statistics give rs one n;tlue OF
Rocky Mount, some readers may not see
he design 10 honor the 4aane OF Gclnke,
y calling ta- place GrimAcvllic. In
ortGnatcly, several attempts made topper
,cJuatc names truly worthy have been
Gril4keyiIle, Dr&ytonyille,
'inckmeyylile, Chatham (origilial name
i Chcra~. CRANKY, &c. :
Is. J. Losing i'll lSi9 visited Rocky |
!olilt "ith pen and pencil IL land. He
ives several sketches and rather inI! |
ccounts 0! tie Revolutionary incidents !
with the place. lie says:
dcrc yet remains the foundation OF i
United States military estab- |
ls!llncnt, TO he called Mount Dearborn, /
Shic! was abandoned" Since Lossin3's
is:t another army has crossed the |:
jutaw}ot at that historic point.
Before tie i;ttc war Il cotton i.,ctory
;ood OF the banks OF The canal, owned
y IL. Daniel AicCuiIouSh: tAe spot
;i!i bearing the old name, .;lout Dear
,oGa Air. NcCuilou2} i, ye: living,
.!.e Vi .tu tnNsuA! Sroup of :Ial. :! dozen